Metabolic syndrome and cognitive impairment amongst elderly people in Chinese population: a cross-sectional study

Background and purpose: Recent studies have demonstrated an association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cognitive impairment in elderly individuals, however a relationship between MetS and cognitive impairment in the Chinese population has been less frequently reported. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the relationship between MetS and cognitive impairment in an elderly Chinese population. Methods: Of 3216 participants (1740 men and 1476 women), aged 60 years old and over were selected from three districts of Chongqing City. The presence of MetS was defined according to the updated Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, and cognitive function was measured by Mini-Mental State Examination and the Activity of Daily Living tests. Results: Of the 3216 participants, 733 (22.8%) fulfilled the criteria for MetS, and 470 participants (14.6%; 236 men and 234 women) fulfilled the criteria for cognitive impairment. Amongst those with MetS, 183 participants (25%) also had cognitive impairment. In univariate analysis, MetS was significantly associated with cognitive impairment [odds ratio (OR) 2.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.07-3.13]. Taking age, current smoking, hypertension and diabetes into account, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MetS was significantly associated with cognitive impairment (OR 2.31; 95% CI 1.91-2.95). Conclusion: MetS is associated with cognitive impairment amongst elderly people in the Chinese population.